


Another Thousand Years

by Oparu



Category: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-03-28
Updated: 2012-03-28
Packaged: 2017-11-02 15:22:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,267
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/370470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oparu/pseuds/Oparu
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>At home at the castle, Celestia and Luna talk about missing each other. Fluffy family fic for Winter_wrapup on livejournal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Another Thousand Years

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Faith](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faith/gifts).



"Why do they hide from me?" Luna had asked her once, lowering her head to her hooves. Beyond Canterlot, the ponies retreated home, saying their goodnights and cuddling up as the moon rose overhead. 

Princess Celestia, still unsure of her own powers and responsibilities regarding the sun and all of light for Equestria had muttered some nonsense about balance and ponies needing to rest. She'd heard it all their lives, the litany of the importance of balance, of maintaining the duality of nature. She'd believed then that her sister had night because it was less work. The sun rose with more effort than the moon, Luna was still small, barely more than a child. Even ponies of royal blood needed time to mature and grow into their powers.

The night was less responsibility, less hassle, and Luna was so young. 

She'd made her vulnerable instead of protecting her. Celestia had lost balance, she hadn't noticed that Luna was so bitter and she'd paid for her misjudgement. She'd carried the balance herself for a thousand years, loosing her connection to the elements of harmony in the process. How could she explain to her sister what it had cost her? That she doubted Luna would ever return?

She had her faithful student to count on, but if Twilight had failed her, Luna would never have returned. 

"Would you have kept going on your own?" Luna dared to ask after she'd settled back into the castle. "We- I- don't know if I could have done that."

Celestia smiled, glad she didn't have to answer that question. "What we can do when we have no other choice surprises us."

Luna accepted that, nodding as she retreated to the bath. She took hers in the late afternoon, when the sun heated the water and reflected across the marble of the bath as it set. Her mane never dried properly until the moon hit it. Night had been in her mane since she was a baby. 

Celestia still saw the baby in her sister when she greeted the dawn, rubbing her eyes with the back of a hoof. She hadn't told her that she empathised when afternoon crept into twilight. Letting the sun slip back beneath the horizon of Equestria and knowing Luna would assume responsibility for all their beloved subjects filled her with love. That was balance truly, was it not? Accepting that responsibility could be shared and appreciating it.

Luna passed her in the corridor, the only pony Celestia ever saw in their private chambers. Celestia shook her head, amused by her own sense of wonder, even after having Luna back for more than a year.

"For a thousand years, mine were the only hooves I heard."

"Am I being loud? I do apologise--"

"Luna."

"Oh, I am being loud, I'll have my hooves muffled in the morning. The servants ought to be able to do something--"

Celestia tugged her sister's mane with magic, shaking her own. "Luna, I like hearing your hooves in the corridor."

"You enjoy being disturbed?"

"Why must you assume you are a disturbance to your beloved sister?"

Luna dropped her gaze to her hooves, her mane obscuring her eyes. "You've had the whole castle to yourself and I, well, I must admit I keep leaving my books about. I forget towels, I left the jewels on the table--"

"Have I ever told you how dull it was that the jewels were always where ever I left them? Nothing was ever out of place, not a mote of dust moved unless I had moved it."

"Sounds serene."

"Luna, my dearest filly, it was dull. I feel dreadful complaining to you, you were imprisoned--"

Luna whisked a towel to herself and began rubbing the excess water from her coat. "Was this not like a prison? Living here all by yourself, while all the ponies below had lives and fell in love? They could go to sleep without knowing that had to be aware of each dawn and dusk?" Her voice fell, nearly a whisper. "Even when I most envied and hated you, I loved the dawn because it was yours."

Laughing, Celestia flicked Luna's nose with a splash of water. "Did I not tell you sunset was my favourite part of the day?"

"But that's when the darkness beats out the sun!"

"Do you think I'd enjoy sunshine all the time? It's exhausting! It makes my coat so warm!"

Luna stared at her, eyes wide, until she laughed along. "Yours! Yours is white. You can't possibly understand."

"It hasn't always been white."

Shock took Luna's laughter for a moment and when it returned, she had tears in her eyes. "Mother was so upset." 

Celestia put on her best impression of the traditional Canterlot speaking voice. "HOW DARE THEE SHOW SO LITTLE RESPECT FOR THY COAT? THY ARE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ROYAL FAMILY AND MUST APPEAR SO AT ALL TIMES. HOW CAN THY SUBJECTS REVERE A PRINCESS OF SOOT?"

Luna gasped for breath, remembering how Celestia, in a fit of filly-rage, had coloured her coat jet black because she was sick to death of being white, pristine and perfect all the time. Luna had been only a baby, but she remembered that clearly. 

"And you said, 'WE DON'T WANT TO BE A PRINCESS!"

"I didn't, not then. Occasionally," Celestia paused, hiding her mouth with her hoof, "Not now."

"You want to die your coat again?" 

"Would that I could."

"Mother's rules don't have to be our rules. I've always wanted to try being pink."

"There's always Nightmare Night?"

"Because that was such a success this year."

Celestia waved her sister over and hugged her close. "I can't imagine how difficult that must have been. Pony culture has changed so much over the last thousand years. I ought to have gone with you."

"You? You ruin all celebrations." Luna magicked her towel onto her head, as if it was a mane and mocked her sister. "Oh Princess Celestia, wonderful Princess Celestia, how wonderful of you to come! Let us all fall on the ground in worship of your benevolence!!" 

"If I had a costume, I could walk among them, like you do."

"It's less walking as it is chasing, as they run from me, shrieking in terror."

"I hear it went well at the end."

"It did. Your faithful student is kind and wise."

"Perhaps you'll take on your own soon."

"A student of my own?" Luna's mouth gaped open. "Celestia--"

"Teaching another pony what you know would be very satisfying for you."

"I will consider it." Luna patted her sister's hoof. "Thank you."

"Now you'd better hurry, I can barely keep the sun up." Celestia yawned into Luna's discarded towel. "It's exhausting you know."

Luna kissed her cheek and scampered off to raise the moon. "I know."

Stretching her sore flanks, Celestia stood and followed her sister to the roof. Watching with pride, Celestia beamed as the moon rose and the sun sank beneath the mountains. Luna peered down at Equestria, watching everypony head inside. 

"It is peaceful," Luna said, smiling down.

"It is." Celestia joined her at the edge, watching even busy Canterlot fill with lights. "When I was alone, night was when I missed you the most."

"When I was the moon, I looked for you."

"I hope you won't ever have to again."

"We won't," Luna promised. "Not even after another thousand years." 

Celestia hugged her close and they spent the rest of the night together, even though Celestia yawned all through the next day's business. It was well worth it. Her sister was home.

**Author's Note:**

> Luna and Celestia is one of my favourite relationships on the show. I don't know about their parents, but I like the idea of them having a mother, so I used that. Thanks for the lovely request! I hope this is the kind of slice of life you enjoy.


End file.
